The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-09-17
DEATH TROD THE STAGE.

DEATH TROD THE STAGE.
Terrible Calamity in an Opera House at
Exeter, Eng.-scores of Corpses in the
Pit.
LONDON, Sept. Cit is believed to-day
that 40 persons perished III the Theater
Royal at Exeter, which was destroyed
by fire last evening. The melodrama
"Romany Rye" was being played and
the building was crowded with people.
Everything was satisfactory until after
the third act when drop curtain fell from
the scene lott, striking the stage lights.
In an instance the mass of cloth and
paint was in blaze and in thirty sec
onds the stage was a furnace. A panic
ensued, the occupants of the stage pit
and dress circle making rush for the
exits. Dozens were trampled upon.
Men pushed aside women and children
or threw them upon the floor and
trampled upon them in their efforts to
reach the streets, forgetting everything
except that the only hope for lite was to
reach the open ali. The occupants of
the upper circle and gallery rushed to
the windows screaming frantically.
Many jumped from the windows and
were injured. Others were rescued
with ladders from the yerandas. The
actors and actresses were in their dress
ing rooms when the fire began and all es-
capped by means of ladders.
AT O'Clock this morning the fire had
burned out, only one blackened wall
and the smoking pile of ruins being
left. Thousands of people tlocked to
the scene OF the fire as soon as it be-
came known that the the ter was burn
ing, and the crowd remained near the
spot greater part of to-day. Inquiries
Tor missing friends were heard on every
hand. The work ofremoving the bodies
of the victims was commenced be
fore the walls fell, and is being contin-
ued to-day. One hundred and thirty
cOrpses have Deen taken out.
The victims were mostly working peo-
pie. As soon as the flames were extin-
guIshed, large force of men began
searching the ruins for bodies. The
stairway leading to the gallery
was literally packed with bodies,
were scores of others, piled one on top
of the other. The unfortunate victim
had rushed to the door when the alarm
was given, but found the stairway
blocked and all means of escape cut Oft.
In a short time the flames had reached
them and they suffered a horrible death.
There We're pitiful scenes in the vicin-
ity of the burned theater this morning
as friends and relations of supposed
victims awaited the recovery of the
bodies. In many cases fathers and
mothers both perished and numerous
children are thus left without means of
support. Several Of the bodies were
burned SO that only small cinder re-
manned.
The number of persons severely in
jured IS sixty. 1t IS feared that the death
list will reach $40.
The occupant of a stall thus described
the scene: The fire was discovered to-
ward the close of the third act, immedi-
ately alter the representation on the
deck Of the Saratoga. What fol-
lowed was awful. Men implored the
audience to he cool and tried to check
the frantic rush, but to little purpose.
Women We're tainting and wringing
their hands. Some husbands carried
out their wives and children scream
ing. Everybody was rushing to the
nearest exit Short as was the time, those
who escaped into the corridor leading
to the yestIbule found the place filled
with dense smoke and escaped in
half sufiocaIed condition. In a few
ness, was throwing water on the stage
from the dress circle, but this had no
effect. Within five minutes of the out
break the city fire brigade was on the
spot, but the water then poured on the
fire was absolutely without effect"
EvENING.-It has been ascer aimed
that there We're 200 persons occupying
seats in the gallery and of these over
100 lost their lives. The search for bodies
still goes on. 1t is very probable that
the total number OF lives lost will
never be ascertained, owing to the
fact that many of the bodies were
completely Calcined. Two stalls ofa sta
bic belonging to a hotel adjacent to the
theater are filed with remains that it is
impossible to identify. Most OF the kill
ed were adults and chiefly men. But
few children perished. The municipal
authorities held a special meeting to-day
and arranged for the Interment of all
unidentified bodies.
M.-More bodies have been taken
from the ruins. The charred remains
of twenty persons were discovered in
one heap. \ mother, father and child
were found clasped in one embrace. All
three had been burned to death.
In nearly every case the clothing has
been torn off the victims. From many
OF the DDlleS lllnDS were missing ana
the remains showed evidence that they
had been wrenched off. Several whole
families, numbering from two to five
persons, lost their lives
The construction of the gallery stair
case accounts Tor the great loss of life
among the gallery people. Half way
down the flight there was a sharp angle.
The first persons who left the gallery got
past this safely, but several of those who
followed were thrown down and jam
med INTO the angle and We're unable to
extriCute themselves, owing to the pres
sure .rom behind. The stircase at
this point was thus etfectually blocked
and there was no other means of escape.
\ scene shifter says the fire originated
among some gauze, which in
some way became ignited. The
flames spread to the scenery of
which the stage was unusually full,
owing to the preparations in progress
for the production of a pantomime.
The audience numbered 800 persons.